There is a known method for monitoring parameters of a solid phase of suspension (cf., G. A. Han "Oprobovanie i kontrol tekhnologicheskikh protsessov obogascheniya", 1979, Nedra Publ., Moscow, pp. 47-49) which comprises the steps of preliminarily forming a sample of suspension to be analyzed, obtaining a solid phase of the formed suspension sample, for example, by drying, and measuring mass and subsequently volume thereof. The sample volume is determined considering a change in the volume of the liquid displaced as the dry material constituting the solid phase of the formed sample is immersed in a measuring vessel containing the liquid. The density of particles in the solid state of the analyzed suspension is determined by the relation between the measured mass of the solid phase of the formed suspension and the volume thereof.
There is also known a method of monitoring parameters of a solid phase of suspension (cf.SU, A, 896,542) wherein ultrasonic vibrations are set up at several fixed frequencies and applied to a test medium placed in a measuring vessel. The ultrasonic vibrations are affected by the test medium whereby parameters of said vibrations, more specifically, their amplitude change are monitored. In this case the text medium is a mixture of particles in the solid state of the analyzed suspension and liquid, for example, clean water. Thereafter, the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibrations passed through the test medium is measured, the value thereof being used to determine the size of particles in the analyzed suspension. Also, measurements are made of the time at which particles of a definite size settle within the measuring vessel. The time value is used to determine the density of particles of the analyzed suspension.
There is also known a device for accomplishing the foregoing method of monitoring parameters of a solid phase of suspension (SU, A, 896,542), which comprises such series-connected components as a pulse generator and an emitting ultrasonic converter, and also a receiving ultrasonic converter connected to the input of an amplifier designed to amplify an ultrasonic vibration amplitude signal. The emitting ultrasonic converter and the receiving ultrasonic converter are disposed on a wall of a measuring vessel on different sides thereof and are acoustically interconnected via the test medium. The measuring vessel is filled with the test medium representing a mixture of solid particles of the analyzed suspension and clean water. The known device also includes a data-processing assembly designed to determine parameters of the analyzed suspension using the results obtained in amplitude measurements. The received data is in turn used for computing parameters of the solid phase of said suspension, said data-processing assembly comprising a standard-amplitude setting unit and a subtraction circuit. The input of the data-processing assembly is connected to the output of the amplifier so that, in the given case, the quantity measured is the amplitude of ultrasonic vibrations dying out when passed through the test medium.
In the afore-mentioned device the test medium placed in the measuring vessel passes ultrasonic vibrations at several fixed frequencies, said vibrations being produced by the use of the pulse generators and the emitting ultrasonic converters. As stated above, the test medium represents particles in the solid state of the suspension taken for analysis from the production line, said particles being immersed in clean water contained in the measuring vessel.
The receiving ultrasonic converters convert ultrasonic vibrations passed through the test medium into electrical signals that characterize the amplitude of said ultrasonic vibrations and are amplified by the amplifier. The measured amplitudes of the amplifier output signals are used to determine parameters of particles in the solid phase of the analyzed suspension. The amplitudes of the amplifier output signals are measured at fixed time intervals after said particles in the solid phase begin to settle, the counting being started immediately after their immersion in clean water contained in the measuring vessel. The obtained data is used to determine the size of solid particles and the density of the solid phase of the analyzed suspension.
However, the prior art methods of monitoring parameters of a solid phase of suspension, which have been discussed above, and the device therefor are characterized by a long checking process inasmuch as parameters of a solid state of suspension are measured as a function of precipitation over a long time in a series of tests performed on a stationary test medium at predetermined time intervals.
Before checking, it is necessary to remove the solid phase and dry it as a preparatory step. Such operations involve losses of suspended particles during preparation and transfer of samples, a disadvantage substantially decreasing checking accuracy. Moreover, accuracy in measuring parameters of a solid phase of suspension with an ultrasonic wave passed throughout a test medium is appreciably decreased due to a varying size of solid-phase particles, which is also a limiting factor.